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Monday, July 30, 2012

Who the heck has time to read these things?

I am going to make an admission. I only read a few blogs, and I only read them sometimes. The only sure-fire guarantee that I will read an entire blog post is if it is about me or a person I consider a friend. I WANT to read more, but a lot of times, I just get busy and don't get around to it. The problem is...I write a blog and WANT everybody to read it. That makes me a pretty big hypocrite. SO where am I missing the big picture? What am I doing wrong?

So I started trying to be more loyal to some of the blogs I follow. My idea of loyal included trying to visit more often and to make at least one comment per week. Seriously, if the blog does not raise at least one thought that incites me to comment, then why am I reading it? But is that the right attitude? Do other bloggers care if anybody comments...or is it just me?

I can admit here to you that I have a certain degree of insecurity. Couple that with the general quirkiness and peculiarity of being one of those "artsy" types. And not even the classy "artsy" type. I write horror...more specifically, I write zombie fiction. Sort of the redneck cousin to the "artsy" type. The gauge of my success as a writer is easy to follow (in my opinion). I simply check my sales numbers(more on that in a second). I read reviews(more on that too). And now, I have a blog that I can check each day for number of visits and comments.

Checking my numbers has become my newest addiction. For me, the true test is not book one, it is the subsequent sequels that allow me to feel joy. Of course, every day, I have to fight off that inner monologue... remember the end of Carrie? "They're all gonna laugh at you!" Well just substitute "Nobody is gonna buy your books anymore!" Be sure to use the same creepy voice, though. I hear that every day. As for reviews, they seem to come in bunches. I can go days without a single review on ANY of my titles...then I get four or five in one day. Those who follow or know me, you know how I feel about people who complain about negative reviews. I take those as part of the job and I search them for anything valid that I can use to make myself better as a writer. That is what makes writing reviews such a tricky prospect for me. I WILL NOT fluff up a writer with a bogus review. And even in the best stories, I try to leave a critique because I believe that none of us are perfect and I believe in offering constructive criticism. The tricky part is when it is somebody I know or like. How do you tell a friend that their work is less-than-stellar? I only know one way.

So that brings me back to this blog. You are the ones who read it. So...more interviews? More book reviews? Less on both? Ranting and raving like a nut? Or simply sharing insights to the not-nearly-as-exciting-as-people-think life of a writer?

A few thoughts in closing...today's Olympic challenge will be difficult, but those who can get to a swimming pool, go out to where you can not touch and tread water for ten minutes...the catch? Have somebody grab you, dunk you, and elbow you in the ribs every few seconds. This challenge brought to you by the amazing athletes who participate in water polo. Also, I am days away from starting my Camp NaNoWriMo--August Edition. The 5th book in the DEAD series is in my sights. That means lots of guest posts...I will try and get in a few words here and there...but my focus will be on my writing. I will be posting some raw samples here, so stay tuned. Also...knee be damned, I am returning to my workout schedule. P90X updates will be posted...if you can't find anything else to comment about...feel free to mock my inability to do pull-ups.

I am also a hypocrite on the blog front. I subscribe to lots of blogs, but never have the time to actually read more than a handful of them. I am also guilty of reading the email and not clicking to visit the page itself.

Checking my blog stats (and my sales figures) is and will be an addiction of mine also. You are not alone on that score.

About Me

TW Brown is the author of the Zomblog series, DEAD series, and That Ghoul Ava series. He is deeply immersed in
pursuing his dream of being a “full-time” writer while trying to balance the
duties of husband, father, friend, and Border Collie owner. He keeps busy
reading and editing the numerous submissions for a variety of upcoming
anthologies and full-length titles for May December Publications. He has had short stories published by Pill
Hill Press, Living Dead Press, and others.